Freedom
by BlueSapphire24
Summary: Part III of the trilogy 'Undying Love' by Irmina. "You wouldn't want that, would you? Zero…" "After all,,, Isn't that the reason you refused to acknowledge our love, because you never wanted me to abandon what I truly am to be with you for good?" "If only I was no king, no husband, neither a father… right? love?" M/M awkward romance, humor, family, cuteness overload.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is a work of collaboration with dear Irmina. Freedom is the third installment of a trilogy. The first installment would be a one-shot named 'Abducted' that you will find under her profile, the second one is named 'Frozen heart', which is also a one-shot. Unlike the third installment that will be a multi-chapter ;)**

 **You are encouraged to read the prequels before reading this one. Otherwise, feel free to ask any question to clear the confusion ;)**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Vampire Knight or any of its characters! Just the plot and the oc present here ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Freedom**

 **Chap.1**

 **BURST INTO FLAMES AND RISE FROM YOUR ASHES**

 **∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

Unsettled russet orbs kept flickering to the antique clock standing at the far corner of the room. His patience was growing thin as the meeting extended longer than what he wished for. The only hint betraying his composure and stoic expression would be the speed at which he tapped on the mahogany table with his fountain pen. A gesture that obliged his assistant, Takuma Ichijou, to give a subtle nudge in order to redirect his attention to the vampire pitching his proposal.

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

Kaname felt his body thrumming in sync with his increasing heartbeat all of a sudden. He was grateful to be in the lead position on the long table of the meeting, which allowed him to clench his fist on his knee under it, away from prying eyes.

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

The thrumming increased along with the sensation that he could describe as a hand squeezing his heart from inside. He knew exactly what it meant and it scared him, frightened him to no end.

'Zero'

He swallowed discreetly and concentrated his senses on the bond he shared with his beloved. Panic soared when he felt their bond getting weaker, 'Zero couldn't be dying, could he?'

Unable to sit calmly with the morbid thought haunting him, he decided to step up and hasten the meeting. Ichijou was bewildered with the outburst of energy his king displayed and the way he tackled the issues in record time. He could feel the urgency in Kaname's stance as the pureblood allowed the pending issues to be forwarded to his private office, an action that he would not recur to unless something extreme happened for him to literally bolt out of the meeting room and teleport instead of following the usual etiquette along with using the limousine.

 **∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

By the time he ended the meeting and left, Kaname could barely feel their bond. His heart was beating erratically as he sank in denial, chasing away any dreadful thought, that is before he reached the high tower he calls home.

Shocked would be an understatement, Kaname was frozen solid for a moment, his jaw dropping slightly, his whole being numb at the sight of blazing flames engulfing the tower, already destroying the top half of it, destroying the dwelling of his beloved.

"ZERO!"

In his panic, Kaname screamed as he vanished from the ground only to appear in the middle of the fire inside Zero's room, in desperate attempt to save him. Sadly, his sienna eyes landed on the wheelchair which was already engulfed in flames and turning to ashes.

With a swift movement of his hand, he put out the fire in an instant. His legs moved shakily as his eyes flickered all over the place looking and sensing for the presence of the crippled hunter until he reached the charred wheelchair.

It was too late.

A pile of distinct kind of ashes sat on the burnt cushion of the wheelchair, it was slowly trickling down to the floor like a sand clock. Kaname reached for the last remains of his beloved, the last of his ashes and gasped the breath that he did know that he was holding when the grains started gathering in his palm.

Despair finally came crashing down on him, to the point of falling to his knees in front of the seat where he usually greeted Zero, when he yet still lived. Kaname's lips trembled as sadness clouded his distraught eyes.

His expression twisted in pain as his chest burned all the way to his throat. He let out a hoarse gasp at first, followed by the quickening intake of breath as he cradled the palm holding the ashes with his other hand.

His shoulders shook as a silent cry tore from his open mouth.

He brought the palm up and buried his face in it, as if searching for the scent that he came to adore, searching for the life that he would have given anything to cherish for all eternity.

Now, bending over until his forehead almost touched the floor, he started muttering in between the sobs until the muttering turned into a loud mantra that ended with repeated cries. Cries yelling one name and one only, "ZERO!"

The ruined building shook under the intensity of his anguish. The pain was far too strong that Kaname found himself unable to breath.

Nonetheless, he never stopped calling his name, like a prayer for the lost love to come back, a prayer for Zero not to leave him, for his life not to end because the silver hunter is his life, his everything.

While he keened and shook, the ashes slipped through his fingers. He feared that it would turn too real upon losing all of them, so he clenched his fist on what remained and held it against his aching heart.

A pleasant breeze suddenly quieted him down, a breeze that carried a sweet scent. A breeze that made him look up slowly. His lips were still parted in attempt to breath, but that breath did not seem to pass when his pained eyes landed on the most ethereal sight they ever witnessed.

Right there, on the charred chair, he saw Zero, clad in white clothing, looking relaxed. Kaname was unable to move a muscle, he kept staring at the magnificent creature glowing with the brightest light he was ever graced with. The light of an angel, his beloved angel.

Realization came crushing on the brown haired man when a smile traced the lips of the hunter. Healthily colored rosy lips smiled upon his miserable form. His breath hitched when the smile conveyed happiness and serenity that sent warmth flooding him from the inside out instead of scorn and mockery.

It is to be expected that Zero's soul would be so pure and gentle just like this projection conveyed. Zero was finally happy. He finally reached the better place he craved ever since Kaname caged him in this tower. He is finally free from Kaname's shackles, but… What about Kaname?

The older vampire panicked when the illuminated form of his beloved started fading, he finally moved and reached out to it, encouraged by the widening smile and the sparkle in amethyst eyes only to grasp the empty air.

Red-brown eyes dimmed until all specs of light left them. Kaname remained like a statue, prompted on his knees and staring at the hand extended to hold onto nothing.

"Zero…" he whispered, wincing at his own raspy voice as he let the extended hand fall down along with his body that rested on folded legs.

"Does this mean that you are finally happy? Is this what you wanted?" he stared at the chair where Zero's image disappeared, "Is that why you did not call out to me as the flames consumed your body?" His throat tightened, finding it hard to utter the next words as crystal tears slid down his porcelain cheek, "Is this the end for us… Zero… did you abandon me?... What am I to do now… How can I go on living without you…"

Through the swimming vision of his eyes, a shiny glint caught his attention when the sun peeked through the demolished windows. Kaname sniffled before shifting his lethargic body closer to the wheelchair, his long shaky fingers parted the cinder and ashes until he uncovered what made him gasp once again. He held the metal between his fingers and stared at Zero's earrings. He held them close to his heart in fear of them disappearing like their owner as he stood on his feet.

He walked slowly to the window, shoulders hunched and his form miserable. The now dusty coat, disheveled hair and teary eyes only accentuated the weight of his grief. Memories of the time that Zero's fake death was announced came rushing back all of a sudden.

The anguish he witnessed in Yuki's eyes, the way Cross Kaien mourned the loss of his adopted son and the fact that he never got over it until this day. At the time, all that Kaname felt was detachement for he knew that his beloved hunter still lived, and he would still live solely for him, for them to be finally together as lovers.

Little did he know what a fleeting dream it was?

Now, the pureblood found himself to be the only one mourning the true death of Kiryuu Zero. He stood by the window, still clutching the earrings and stared at the castle. The only thought haunting him was to run away from this pain and join his beloved in the afterlife. 'Who knows? We may get the chance to reincarnate as lovers.'

However, the flashing image of the smiling Zero chased the wistful smile that barely adorned Kaname's lips.

"You wouldn't want that, would you? Zero…" He unclenched his hand and traced the earing with his finger, "After all… Isn't that the reason you refused to acknowledge our love, because you never wanted me to abandon what I truly am to be with you for good?"

His eyes were still fixated on the castle behind the forest as he uttered the last words, "If only I was no king, no husband, neither a father… right? love?" The same breeze he felt earlier tickled his cheeks. It made him smile despite the darkness engulfing him.

Even in death, Zero would never want him to slumber or end his own life. Kaname was almost certain that Zero would reject him in the afterlife if he joined him after abandoning his kingship and family. After all, Zero always wanted him to be a responsible king, husband, and father.

"And so it shall be, my love… Until you forgive me and perhaps… call for me to be by your side again."

Meanwhile, through the widow of her bedroom, Yuuki felt the ground shaking as Kaname screamed in despair for a while before it finally settled along with the extinguished fire that left the previously white tower painted black. A smile of satisfaction showed on her lips as she closed the window and left the bedroom to join her son.

 **∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Three years later ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

*Knock*

*Knock*

*Knock*

"Kaname-sama!" The voice of the maid echoed from the other side of the thick oak door, "Excuse the bother, but Ichijou-sama arrived minutes ago and sent me to inform you that he will be waiting at the west conservatory. He also instructed me to inform you that your meeting is scheduled for an hour from now."

"Inform him that I will join him in ten. Dismissed!" A rich commanding voice resounded from inside the biggest guest quarter located at the west wing of the royal castle, the complete opposite side of the royal dwelling located in the east wing.

The guest quarter turned into the King's permanent residence three years ago. Seeing that the queen, Yuki, was very extreme on keeping the matter inside the castle, the servants became afraid of commenting on it even to one another, let alone with an outsider.

They merely tiptoed around their queen who was turning more and more eccentric by the day while their king seemed like an empty shell moving on the surface of earth, unresponsive to anything apart from his royal duties.

It was a play they performed to perfection after the biggest fall out they had on that dreaded day.

The day their king cut his trip short and came back to find a tower he built burnt to the ground. Nobody knew what was it about that tower that Kaname held dear, they only knew that his very soul was extinguished along with that fire, and nobody managed to get through him ever since.

After that, the queen did her best to get him out of that dark place, but her efforts backfired and had him run away from her side even further than before, and quite openly this time around.

*sound of water splashing*

Kaname let the droplets of water slide down and gather at his chin while he stared at the same blank expression he would see every evening before putting on the mask of the vampires' king. His garnet orbs were as dim as ever, reflecting nothing but an empty vessel, which lost its soul at that fire.

He grabbed a towel and patted his face before heading back to the bedroom. He found the outfit of the day on the loveseat at the corner of the room.

The only person allowed in his chambers was his trusted bodyguard and personal assistant, Seiren. She was also the only other person aware of his agony as well as the root cause of it.

He always found comfort in her subtle presence as she has always been a woman of little words and many actions. She would allow herself in discreetly when he is not around and tidy up properly as well as prepare his outfits according to the scheduled occasion so that he does not have to bother about picking anything.

He discarded the towel around his waist and started putting on his clothes in a robotic manner. He checked the time while strapping the watch over his wrist and nodded. Upon leaving the bedroom, he would find himself in a spacious living room where an overused couch stood out amongst the others.

Ever since Zero passed away, Kaname found himself unable to sleep in the comfort of a bed without thinking of his beloved and how it felt to hold him in his sleep. Ever since he lost him, that couch became the only place he could ever take what would qualify as a short nap in order to function properly.

With one last glance at the mirror he adjusted his tie. A sigh escaped his lips at the thought of leaving the confines of these walls. Despite fulfilling his duties as a king like he should, Kaname never leaves his chambers unless he had to attend a meeting where Ichijou would be unable to represent him or a formal gathering where he has to act his role of king, loving husband and father under the scrutinizing eyes of his people. He still forces himself to attend one silent meal a day with Yuki and Zander, pretending to listen as they talked about their day before retiring to where he wanted to be.

Kaname stood in front of a small decorative table that faced his sleeping couch. His fingers slid against a thickly carved silver box. He picked up the slightly heavy object despite its small size and caressed it lovingly just like he used to caress the supple skin of his beloved hunter.

As if to reassure himself, he opened it carefully to look inside before sighing in relief while closing it. A routine that happened everyday for as many times as he had to leave the room and after coming back.

Kaname would find himself rushing to the silver box containing the ashes of his deceased lover as if to make sure that he was still there waiting for him, just like he did when Zero was still alive.

He kissed the metallic object tenderly, his lips lingering a little longer despite the cold sensation spreading over them. "I am doing my best upholding my duties as a king, just like you wanted, Zero. Aren't you proud of me? love"

He caressed it some more, imagining it to be the warm pale cheek of the sleeping hunter this time, "I have to go now, but I will come back… I promise I will come back very soon… I will come back to you, my love. You will be here waiting for my return, won't you?" The words always sent a painful pang through his chest as they reminded him of the last exchange with the hunter before he lost him for good.

He could feel his anxiety starting to rise as he placed the box on the table, and he knew that it will not subside until he comes back and find the box where he left it.

He closed the door behind him and took the briefcase that Seiren held for him. With confident strides, he reached the conservatory where his old friend sipped on his tea. Takuma immediately put the cup down when the pureblood came into his field of vision. Glancing at his watch, his eyebrows rose in astonishment, "Not a second late, outstanding as usual."

"No point in prolonging the inevitable." Kaname stated flatly.

The butler appeared out of nowhere announcing that the limousine was ready and waiting for their order.

"Shall we?" Takuma made a hand gesture to allow his friend to lead the way. Kaname nodded in silence as he turned on his heels and headed toward the large lobby at the center of the castle.

"Busy day?" A feminine voice almost made his steps falter but he did not bother looking at the source, but merely nodded in response.

Takuma frowned at the action and turned to see an upset female pureblood standing in the cream-colored gown that reached a little below her knees. Yuki clenched the fabric of her dress in order to reign in the repeating humiliation of being ignored.

"It is the annual meeting concerning the peace treaty. I guess busy would be an understatement." The noble vampire tried to lighten the mood by tipping the queen about their plan. An action that earned him a grateful smile from Yuki who barely held back her tears and a cold glare from Kaname that clearly warned him about butting in his business any further.

The car pulled up in front of the hunter's association just in time for the meeting held there on an annual basis. Entering the building has been a suffocating ordeal for the pureblood in the past three years.

Especially when memories of his beloved haunted the place from his glorious days as a hunter, and the picture hung in the president's office was the most painful reminder. Every one of his close families and friends coped differently after the news of his demise. However, the heaviest blow of his fake death seemed to affect his adoptive father and his mentor. Toga Yagari never took down the picture of his disciple even after his wake ended, as for Cross Kaien, he never stopped visiting the grave they build for him, on a daily basis, that is until he became busy with the child he adopted recently.

Kaname still remembered the way Yuki scoffed about the idea of her 'father' taking in another child, forgetting that it was thanks to his generous heart that she survived to see the light of another day.

Honestly speaking, Kaname was relieved to know that his old friend found a new purpose in life, especially with the increasing guilt of being the cause behind his grief. He only wished that he could say the same about himself, the one who was left to witness the actual death and shoulder the grief without being able to share the sadness at the expense of exposing his deeds.

His musing ended when he found himself seated in a room bustling with hunters. Some gave him friendly greetings while other directed murderous looks their way. The awkward part of this meeting would be the fact that Takuma and Kaname were the only vampires present on behalf of the vampire society. Being outnumbered by the hunters did not bother him, but the constant hostility always grated on his nerves.

When the murmurs got louder, Kaname forced himself to pay attention in order to know the reason behind the delayed start of the meeting. Takuma finally cleared the matter by whispering that Cross Kaien was running late for some reason. The pureblood nodded. Of course, with him as the ultimate peace promoter, this meeting would never proceed without the presence of the ex-hunter.

Kaname was starting to feel fidgety when his anxiety rose even more. He never appreciated it when meetings ran late as it brought up unpleasant thoughts and emotions he thought himself incapable of.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when the man of the day announced his arrival, but thin brown brows knitted in what seemed like amusement when Cross Kaien brazenly pushed a stroller inside the meeting room.

"Sorry~ everyone… I am truly sorry for being so late~ this little guy has been cranky and the nanny bailed out on me at the last minute." The joyful hunter scratched the back of his neck as he took a seat, ignoring the mocking remarks thrown his way.

Kaname was relieved to see his old friend getting better year after year. It was really hard to interact with him after Zero passed away, which lead to their meeting getting lesser and lesser in number. At this point, unless Cross decided to pay a visit to the castle, Kaname would not have the chance to see him.

The meeting proceeded smoothly and the prominent issues in both societies were addressed efficiently without any excessive conflict between vampires and hunters. Takuma's thoughts about the improving quality and atmosphere of these annual meetings getting better was on point indeed.

Unfortunately, the blond noble had to excuse himself in the middle of it because of urgent personal matters, which left Kaname as the only vampire to face the vicious hunters, not that it caused him any problems before or now. The king was simply dissatisfied about the matter taking longer than expected when all he wanted was to hurry back home, to Zero.

His agony did nothing but get worse when the loud wailing of a child pierced the eardrums of every person present in the room, especially the sensitive ears of the vampire.

"Oh dear!" Cross immediately jumped to the stroller to quiet the cranky child disturbing the flow of the meeting.

The sight of the man crouching in front of the stroller had Kaname thinking about how Kaien came across the child in the first place.

It was thanks to Takuma's blabbermouth that he came to learn about it over one of their tea-time that his friend imposed on him once a week. It was around the time that Cross busied himself with helping out at the association along with the school in order to move on from the loss of his son. The old ex-hunter was set on a self-destructive path until one particular mission that left the hunters puzzled.

Cross Kaien was at the association that day when a squad of hunters covered in dirt and ashes came rushing into the association. One of them held a crying child wrapped in his own jacket. They were lost about what to do with him, the child was found inside the old apartment complex where vampires attacked that day.

The battle resulted in a big fire that took down the whole place. Thankfully, the hunters managed to evacuate the building before anyone got fatally hurt.

However, when they went to look for the baby's parents, the hunters were surprised to learn that he had none. In fact every resident, including the janitor and the owner of the building denied the existence of a child that age in the whole building. The police report did not reveal any missing newborn either.

Anyone would think that Cross Kaien has a soft spot for abandoned children and orphans, and that would be the reason why he did not think twice before adopting another. At least that was what Kaname believed as well.

Little did he know that it was more than that. His friend was not able to inform him about the fact that Cross Kaien felt an immediate connection to the child at first sight. Kaname did not know that Cross went up to court for the right to keep him and fought viciously against the legal body that denied him the right for adoption as a single man without any blood ties to the child.

Kaname's musing stopped when interrupted by the crude remark of one of the hunters towards the motherly ex-hunter.

"Is it time for breastfeeding?"

A string of snorting and laughter erupted, followed by few disapproving grunts and disgusted looks.

"You think that I would not do it if I was able to?" Cross retorted sarcastically, successfully shutting up the witty remark. "There there… It's okay, I am not going anywhere" He lulled the toddler in his arms while adjusting the cover around him to ward off the cold as he sat back on his seat.

The child seemed disappointed about sitting down and went into another fit of crying. "Oh~ What's wrong now~ Come on! Tell daddy what's wrong? Ne? Zero?" The old hunter cooed as he removed the cover, suspecting the heat to be the cause for the cranky mood.

No one in the room noticed the way Kaname froze upon hearing the name.

The pureblood struggled to keep a straight face when a ruffle of silver hair peeked out of the cover that the old hunter was removing. His breath halted instantly when the small head turned around and he met with big teary violet eyes that settled on his red-brown eyes after looking around the unfamiliar place.

Kaname's hand unconsciously reached for his chest and held Zero's earrings, which he wore as a necklace hidden under his suit. A necklace he never took off ever since the death of the silver hunter because that was the only tangible reminder left of his beloved, the only connection to him that Kaname refused to part with.

The king of vampires was grateful for his mastery of poker faces. He maintained a solemn expression throughout the ordeal despite the erratic beating of his heart. He could feel it thrumming against his ribcage, and was also grateful that everyone in the room except him were human, saving him the awkwardness of explaining the sound of the frantic beating of his once dying heart.

During the the last minutes of the meeting, Kaname found himself unable to look away from the toddler dozing off against the chest of Cross Kaien.

That day, he came back to his chambers dazed instead of anxious, moving slowly instead of bursting in a hurry to hold the ashes.

Nonetheless, he did stand before the makeshift altar and went about his routine of caressing, kissing and rubbing the metal along with the lines he repeated again and again for the past three years.

The only difference today was that, unlike any other day, his mind was not entirely focused on his deceased beloved, and he did not like it.

Kaname did not appreciate anything taking his attention away from Zero, even if it was a toddler who was the spitting image of his beloved.

∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞

Three days later, the black limousine with tinted windows parked in front of the chairman's house inside the campus of Cross Academy. For the first time in years, Kaname actually left the house on his own without having Takuma come to drag him out.

He knocked twice before allowing himself inside since he informed Cross about his visit beforehand.

Little did he expect the scene that greeted him in the once immaculate office of the ex-hunter.

In one sweeping glance, Kaname counted too many toys that seemed to have gathered over many days, a playing mat where a liquor cabinet used to be, a crib, a bottle of formula, and Cross sitting on the floor feeding an angry toddler who did nothing but spit all over the place, including his father.

The phone ringing allowed Cross's attention to shift with a groan and belatedly notice the presence of the pureblood.

"Ah! Kaname-kun~ Perfect timing! Here hold him for me so that I can get that." He swiftly placed the grumpy child in the arms of the unsuspecting vampire and rushed to take the call.

While he spoke over the phone, his hazel eyes were trained on the tall brunet who looked at Zero as if he was seeing an alien at first. However, before the end of the phone, Cross Kaien witnessed the most adorable scene ever since he took chibi Zero in;

His breath caught when small hands hesitantly reached for kaname's jawline and patted it while staring in awe at the red brown eyes that followed his every move intently. The next thing they knew, the child hugged Kaname's neck and nestled his tiny head against his collarbone while letting a cute sigh of comfort.

Kaname seemed awkward at first, but the energetic heartbeat of the child, his warmth and the steady breath that tickled him sent a comforting warmth in his once frozen heart. The trust that this unsuspecting child showed towards him shook him to the core.

Kaien smiled discreetly, acting as if he was still on the phone despite the conversation being long over, just to watch as the pureblood brought a hesitant hand to rub the small back of the child tenderly while nuzzling his silver hair.

It has been years since he witnessed such mellow expression on the face of the stoic pureblood, probably since he used to come visit Yuki as a child.

Little did anyone in the room know that it was but the beginning of a long healing journey.

 **∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ TBC ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞**

 **REVIEWS GIVE US LIFE!**

 ***BIG HUGS* FROM IRMINA & BLUESAPPHIRE24 ;)**

 **SEE YA NEXT CHAPTER**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you sooo much for the wonderful feedback. I am truly astonished by the the reviews, favorites and followers this story attracted on its first chapter and I hope that you enjoy reading the rest of it just the same.**

 **'Undying Love' trilogy**

 **Part III**

' **Freedom'**

 **Chap.2**

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

"Why don't you take a seat?" Cross gestured to the green sofa of his office. He offered to take the child back, but Zero was already sleeping in the arms of the pureblood.

Kaname seemed not to mind it but still had a hard time finding a comfortable sitting position with the little man in his arms. _'How do they handle something so small'_

"How old is he?" Kaname asked.

Cross pondered for a bit, "Well… I am planning on making his birthdate four months prior to the day he was found because that was his approximate age at the time. Therefore, I would say that he would be three years old in a couple of months." The chairman announced with pride, gliding over the fact that he still did not finalize Zero's official papers. Kaname found it a bit hilarious.

"Is there any problem with the papers?" The pureblood did not let the matter slide.

Cross slumped in his desk chair, "I wish I could say no."

Kaname remained silent, staring at the ex-hunter who was visibly debating about whether to elaborate or not. He honestly did not care much seeing as it was merely a way to keep the conversation going.

He was running out of topics before even starting because of how long it had been since he detached himself from the world outside his chambers.

"It seems that as soon as I get over one obstacle, a new one pops up. I am still unable to finalize the adoption papers because they would not stop digging into my past and bring up issues that 'might' make me unfit as a parent." The light haired man complained, "They even brought up the crumbling of the school building during the Rido attack and blamed it on my irresponsibility when it comes to maintaining the building and the safety of its students. Can you believe that?" He gave Kaname a baffled look.

The pureblood felt bad for the struggle that Cross seemed to go through, "I am sorry about that."

"Nah~ It is not your fault." The chairman dismissed.

"As a matter of fact, it is. I could have avoided turning the school into a battlefield. Allow me to make it up to you." Kaname insisted.

The hazel-eyed ex-hunter blinked few times, not really understanding what he meant.

Kaname had to pause to readjust the child who seemed to be slipping from his arms, "I think I can do something about the adoption and the birth certificate thanks to some phone calls to the right people, that is if you allow me to…" Kaname suggested.

Few moments of silence passed until Kaname spoke again, almost stuttering at the sight of the bawling ex-hunter who was about to grow a puddle of tears on top of his desk. "... And… I think you might need a tissue…"

"Oh~ Kaname-kunnnn~ You're… you're… *sniff* a life saver…" Kaien all but kneeled in front of the pureblood, relief washing over him after months of stressful pestering from social services and the authorities that were keen on taking the child out of his custody.

"Nothing of that sort…" Kaname sighed, "I am just trying to help an old friend."

"Oh dear!" The misplaced shriek of the Cross jolted him slightly, especially when he found him hovering over his shoulder. Kaname panicked for a second thinking that he might have hurt the child in his arms. He watched with wary eyes as Cross snatched the tissues from a box and hovered over him again, whispering.

"I am sooo sorry… I usually put something over my shoulder but forgot to give you a cloth… Now he is drooling all over your suit." Kaien flustered as he offered to take the child.

Once he understood what happened, Kaname could not help but letting out a breathy chuckle, especially when Zero gripped his tie in his sleep while his father tried taking him away. In what looked like a spontaneous gesture, Kaname prevented the action, "No, It's fine! I am heading back home in a little bit anyways, this will not be a problem."

The unexpected gesture surprised the hunter yet again, but he was grateful nonetheless. Zero was a sensitive child who does not warm up to others easily. He would dare to say that it was a miracle that he grew so attached to Kaname in the blink of an eye. He allowed them some bonding time while going to prepare some tea for his guest.

Meanwhile, Kaname threw his head against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes for a moment.

' _What did I come here for?'_

' _...and what am I doing?'_

His fingers played with the silver strands of the sleeping child, his eyes drifted around the room and landed on the photograph on top of the bookshelf.

He felt a lump forming in his throat when he met the scowling amethyst eyes of the teenager wearing an unkept day class uniform and looking away from the camera. Next to him stood the shorter female hooking her arm around his and rewarding the photographer with a full toothed smile. Behind the two hovered a taller brunet wearing a solemn expression and a contrasting uniform to theirs. Kaname still remembers the day Cross Kaien forced the three of them to take the commemorative picture in front of the newly established Moon Dorm. It was a day he celebrated years after with the rest of the night class, the day his dream of peaceful cohabitation started taking shape.

However, Kaname considered it the start of his torment because he found himself getting closer to the silver hunter and having more chances to interact with him, but drifting so far from him all the same because of how different and unforgiving their worlds were.

*Ring**Ring**Ring**Ring*

He jolted from the sound of the phone and stirred the child in his arm in the process. He looked at the annoying device and relaxed when hearing Cross's footsteps getting closer.

The wheat-haired hunter placed the tea set on the table and urged Kaname to enjoy the drink while he answered the phone.

"Moshi, Moshi! Toga! How are you doing?" Cross answered cheerfully.

"Could not get any worse!" The one eyed president of the association barked over the phone, "What the hell did you think you were doing, stupid old man!"

"Wha…Woah! Easy there… What happened?" Kaien was taken aback by the loud scolding voice.

"What did you do? What did you do? Oversea conference about the vampire/hunters affairs, does it ring a bell?" Yagari hissed.

Cross blinked a few times, "Yeah… It is sort of like the annual meeting we had but on an international scale and it involves hunters and governments' representatives. I was on the phone with a lady who explained it to me earlier."

"And you went ahead and accepted an invitation on behalf of the association." Yagari huffed.

"I did?" Cross does not really recall such a thing.

"Of course you fucking did, why else would they call and send a reminder email for the association president about the mandatory attendance of the meeting when _I_ don't remember agreeing to such crap?" Yagari finally snapped.

When realization finally dawned on him, Cross Kaien sweat dropped imagining the fury seeping out of the raven-haired hunter at the moment. It was when he was entranced by the sight of Kaname with the child that he was absentmindedly agreeing to whatever the woman said before she hung up. That must when he confirmed the attendance.

"Toga! I am sorry… I was… distracted…" He apologized sheepishly.

"Oh no~ You are not putting the blame on a brat distracting you this time… You are not getting out of this one that easily! You better pack your bags because you are leaving the day after tomorrow first thing in the morning to represent us in this waste of time of a conference that never did us any good. That will teach you to never make any decision on my behalf from now on and you better notify everyone that you are not the president of the association anymore to avoid this kind of confusion."

Cross Kaien flinched when the president of the hunter's association hung up on him without allowing any other complain. His eyes widened as soon as he placed the handset down.

"Oh no~" He held his head with both hands.

"Is something the matter?" Kaname asked while helping the squirming child get down.

The ex-hunter immediately took the child to his playing mat after wiping his face with a refreshing towel, "Oh! I wish I could say that it was nothing."

Kaname started feeling the awkwardness of the silence that followed while the chairman pondered on how to explain.

"I should leave if you have matters to attend to, I do not mind having this get-together postponed if that is what you are worrying about?" The king of vampires reassured. He was not sure what came over him in the first place when he decided to visit his old friend, but he still came and was eager to spend the rest of the night chatting away with him before going back to rest.

"Noo~ Nothing of that sort Kaname-kun! I am very pleased to have you here and will not let you leave before we catch up. Could you just excuse me for one last phone call." Cross pleaded.

"Sure!" Kaname nodded, "I will keep an eye on him." He pointed to the child fumbling with some Lego pieces. He was not aware of the way his lips curled up when Zero fit most of the piece except for one that would not click where he wanted it to be. He waited anxiously as the child pursed his lips and puffed his chubby cheek while pressing on the tiny wall he built, going as far as standing on his two little feet.

The pureblood startled when the child lost balance and fell along with his masterpiece. He was about to jump and check for his safety but Kaien gestured a 'No' with his hands. That is when Kaname realized that he never took his eyes off the child.

The two adults observed the little Zero as he huffed and sat on the mat, then pulled the destroyed wall to build it again with more enthusiasm. When he reached the same annoying piece, he struggled with it until he run out of patience. In a fit of frustration he threw it as far as he could and went looking for another in his box of toys.

The child was not aware that the piece ended up bumping on Kaname's leg. The brunet picked it up and examined it only to realize that it was crooked badly in a couple of corners, _'No wonder he had difficulties pressing it in place'._

Twirling the piece of plastic in between his fingers, Kaname observed as Zero brought out another similar building block and put it in place properly. He found himself smiling at the proud expression of the toddler after he managed to achieve what he aimed for.

Zero looked at Cross intently while the hunter was busy trying to convince his nanny to postpone her vacation. When he lost hope of his adoptive father praising him for the good work, his big expectant eyes turned to Kaname who was resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

The pureblood stared at the sparkly look he gave him with confusion written all over his face, he did not know what the child wanted. Zero, on the other hand, started to feel dejected, that is until Cross finished his call and turned to see him.

"Oh my! Zerorin~ Such a smart boy you are~" He cooed while crouching beside the boy, ruffling his hair wildly, "You did it all by yourself this time? I am so proud of you!"

Seeing that the child was practically glowing from happiness, Kaname realized what he was missing and gave him an apologetic smile.

The host of the house finally joined his guest over the coffee table, looking more dejected than ever.

"Cross-san?" Kaname inquired cautiously.

"I am so sorry for being an awful host when you have not been over in so long. Tell me… How are you doing?" The hunter quickly amended himself.

"I am doing fine." Kaname answered curtly.

"Yuki and Zander?" Cross's face lit up, "Although I do see them once in a while, I cannot help asking whoever comes over about them." He smiled, "That boy may take after his mother in his looks but he reminds me of you as a child every time he comes to visit with Yuki-chan. Especially the part where it is difficult to make him smile."

Kaname stiffened at the mention of his wife and son. He did not want to indulge the ex-hunter on this topic, fearing that Cross would notice how detached he was from their lives.

He could care less about him finding out that their marriage had gone cold, but he was not ready to deal with a meddlesome father-in-law trying to patch them up together again.

"He is at a difficult age, I guess." Kaname shrugged.

"Wait till he hits puberty and I bet that you will consider the current state as blissful."

Cross rambled as he stood again, going towards the shelves.

Kaname's heart tightened when he saw him reach for the picture, "Yuki-chan had her moments, but Zero managed to give me the full experience of what is it like to have a rebellious teenager in the house." The father slid his shaky fingers over the face of his deceased adoptive son.

Kaname could see grief and sorrow clearly painting his expression before he put the frame back in place and rub his nose as if to chase away a sniffle.

Cross took a deep breath and turned around to face the pureblood again with a forced smile, "Sorry! I still get emotional every time… you know…"

"You don't have to explain." Kaname interrupted, wishing for the hunter to change the subject before he broke down as well.

"I find it hard to talk about him as if he is not with us anymore…" Cross sat and poured himself a cup of tea, "I spent so many years believing that he would knock at my door with his usual grumpy face. That he would storm in and head to his room, warning me against waking him up anytime soon because of the exhausting trip that kept him away for so long. I imagined so many scenarios that I believed them at some point. I may have been able to find closure if they found a body, since I tend to forget that he was a vampire, which denied me such a thing…"

The pureblood kept looking down at the twirl in his cup, his bangs hiding the painful expression riddled with guilt from his betrayed friend. His nostril flared as he inhaled sharply, in effort to put the usual mask on.

"Is that why you decided to adopt this child and give him his name?" Kaname spoke with difficulty as he willed his voice not to shake.

Cross gave him a helpless chuckle, "Toga gave me enough lectures about it, trust me. I know that it will not help me move on as much as plaguing myself with a constant reminder of the dire loss."

"I did not mean to make you look like a fool." Kaname quickly amended himself.

"No such a thing." Cross shook his head, "I know perfectly well that you meant no insult by asking? I also know that you have an inkling suspicion that answers your question… It is absurd, I know it, but I feel drawn to this child as much as I felt drawn to Zero himself. They have so much in common. I dare say it because I knew Kiryuu Zero since he was one day old. This little guy spent a whole month without a name until I decided to name him after my beloved son. He is just as bright and sensitive as him, smart but introvert, loving but wary and the list goes on…" The ex-hunter had a glimpse of pride swelling in his eyes, as he looked at the child busy with a fire truck.

"Was that the reason why you were begging the nanny to take care of him while you are away on your trip?" Kaname was almost gasping. Hearing the full name of the silver hunter sliced through his bleeding heart like the sharpest blade. He wanted nothing more than to stop this conversation.

Remembering his dilemma, Cross groaned.

"I can't believe that I was careless enough to agree in the first place. Toga is so evil for dumping such a task on me!" He whined, "It is a ten days long trip, how can I leave this little guy for that long?"

Kaname could see how conflicted the hazel-eyed man felt about the situation, which made him look for solutions without meaning to, "I believe that he is old enough to travel on an airplane, and you can always leave him in the hotel room during the time of the meetings and the conference. I do not think that they would allow him in like in the association here." Kaname gave him an apologetic look at the last statement.

Cross let out a long sigh… "I would not have hesitated to do so if he was like any other child. I am afraid that the idea will not work out with Zerorin." Cross went to pick the child who was struggling to keep his eyes open and play instead of dozing off to sleep.

Kaname watched as Zero rubbed his eyes with his tiny knuckles before curling in the lap of his soon to be adoptive father. Kaien kept caressing his face, lulling him to sleep while talking, "In addition to being overly sensitive and wary of others, he hates closed spaces and can never be left alone."

"How so?" Kaname was intrigued.

"The psychiatrist he is consulting told me that it was something like a P.T.S.D from his experience with the fire. I spent so many sleepless night calming him down when I first took him in. I was advised to let him sleep alone in the nursery and keep a monitoring device active in case he needed me. However, as soon as I close the door, he would not stop crying until I am back by his side again. When he started crawling around, the nanny advised me to put him in a playpen. I cannot describe the horror he put us through with his dramatic attempts to get out of it." Cross shook his head in exasperation before placing a loving hand on top of the silver head.

"That sounds problematic." Kaname could barely handle hearing the child wail for five minutes during the meeting, he could not imagine what it would have been like having him in that state constantly.

"Not really." Cross shrugged, having grown accustomed to the child's antics "It rarely causes me any inconvenience since I work from home ever since I adopted him. It is just difficult to find a nanny that he could get along with in such a short notice."

Kaname pondered for a moment, "I wish I knew of such a person."

Cross smiled, "I appreciate the thought, but this is-" The ex-hunter was about to say that it was his own problem to deal with as not to burden the pureblood but an idea sparked in his head.

He stood fast enough without stirring the child, whom he placed by Kaname's side and ran to the phone.

Kaname had a moment of panic when Cross uttered Yuki's name as the one he was calling. He was relieved when his name did not come up during the conversation, but winced when he could almost perceive a gloomy cloud over the chairman's head after he hung up.

"Sorry… I thought that Yuki-chan could help out along with Zander's nanny, but she told me about her trip that happened to be one the day following my own departure date." Cross explained.

"Oh!" Kaname nodded, making it seems as if he was aware of his wife's plans. Although, he remembered her saying something about going away for a moms only trip with her friends and how the children will have fun together.

He felt strangely annoyed at her selfishness. _'She could have taken the child with her and let him enjoy playing with other kids, it would not cost her anything since the servants would be taking care of them while she enjoys herself gossiping around.'_

"Are you leaving together?" Cross asked.

Kaname's attention snapped to the question asked and he shook his head, "No, it is a girls only outing." He omitted the part about mothers and children as not to hurt his feelings any further.

Cross suddenly perked, "Does that mean that the nanny will be around at the castle?"

Kaname was taken aback, but he at least knew the answer to this question, "She is not much of a nanny and more of an attendant to Zander lately. So… I guess she should be around as a servant while he is away, that is, if Yuki does not decide to take her along, which I doubt."

"That is wonderful! Kaname-kun! That is it!" The ex-hunter jumped on his feet and almost engaged in a happy dance while explaining, "You could take him to the castle and leave him in her care. Yuki-chan told me that she still did not take away the stuff from Zander's nursery last time she visited. She was planning on sending them to me for Zerorin, but it is perfect that she did not do it yet."

Kaname had a foreboding feeling as to where this conversation was going, "Cross-san…"

He flinched when the chairman knelt in front of him and gripped his knees, "Kaname-kun! I could only ask this favor of you and you alone… Please… It is just for ten days and I will provide her with a detailed manual on how to deal with him and what to expect as well as the dos and don't, Ne? You would literally save me from the worst nightmare this trip could turn into if I ever find myself forced to take him along."

"Cross-san… I don't mean to decline but…" Kaname trailed.

"Look, you don't have to do anything at all. You can even give me her contact information and I will ask her for updates myself instead of bothering you?" The ex-hunter was now pacing back and forth, making plans and a checklist of what to prepare while a stunned pureblood tried to wrap his head around what just happened.

"Cross-san… What if he does not like it there?" Kaname finally managed to jug his mind and find an escape route.

Right on cue, Zero woke up from his slumber because of the ruckus his father was making. He blinked and rubbed his eyes while looking around with a cute frown on his face.

"We can always ask him." Cross chirped as he sat on the armrest near his son,

"Zerorin? What do you think about spending few days with Kaname? Daddy has to go away for few days and Kaname will take good care of you. He has a nice lady that will play with you like Mira-san does and there are plenty of toys as well." The ex-hunter was desperately convincing his son who was staring at him blankly.

Zero took his sweet time processing the information he had been told, then looked from his father to Kaname and back to his father. They watched intently as he shifted lazily and curled closer to Kaname, surprising the pureblood by resting his head on the adult's thigh to sleep again, but making sure to give his answer before sleep claimed him, "Okay~ go… with… Ka-me"

"So~" Kaname would swear that the ex-hunter was grinning before his eyes lifted to meet a pleading face.

"When Shall I come to pick him up?" The king of vampires finally conceded defeat in front of an overzealous father and an intriguing child.

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The next day, Takuma found himself confused when Kaname requested that they swing by Cross's house after they finished the last meeting concerning the royal affairs of the vampire community. The noble vampire would have expected his king to rush back home like any other day, but complied without question.

"I will be right back." Kaname got out of the car and instructed the driver holding the door for him to open the trunk before following him inside.

The green eyed council president gazed at the starry sky, remembering the good old days they spent as students in this campus as well as how much he missed the Kaname from back then, the aloof but caring pureblood. He was still puzzled as to how that great man became nothing but an empty shell driven by a task list dictating his daily actions.

He dearly missed the arrogant king who would thrive to drive his point home when it came to installing new rules, he missed the friend who would find one way or another to dump some work on him to enjoy some personal time.

Takuma might grumble and complain about such things but he would comply nonetheless knowing that Kaname would be in a better mood as long as he strikes the balance he needed between royal duties and personal life. However, lately, the king seems to be all about duties and nothing else.

Emerald orbs drifted back to the front porch when the light went on again along with the door opening to reveal a chairman dragging two suitcase and the driver carrying a big colorful box that they placed in the spacious trunk of the limousine.

The noble's eyes all but bulged out when Kaname emerged with a child snuggly bundled up in his arms. He absentmindedly greeted the cheerful ex-hunter and waited for the pureblood to give the child to his father before getting in the car again, but Kaname did not. The pureblood took a seat by his side with the little Zero sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Ka… Kaname?" He stuttered, pointing to the child as the car moved along the streets.

"Don't ask!" The pureblood ordered with a murderous look on his face. The last thing he needed was a humiliating explanation about how he found himself stuck with babysitting a child.

"I don't even know what I should be asking about." The noble muttered, stealing glances at the angelic face of the toddler sleeping against the crook of Kaname's neck, and squealing internally. _He is sooo cute! Look at how he is suckling on his tiny thumb! Gosh I want to hold him… but Kaname might not like that!_

The pureblood could see the range of emotions flickering in his friend's eyes and wanted nothing more than to grant his wish, however, Cross warned him about the fit Zero might throw if he woke up in the arm of a stranger. Takuma will just have to wait for him to be awake and properly introduced before befriending the little man.

It was lunch hour (vampire clock, dinnertime for human) by the time the dark car reached the castle in Nagoya. Zero woke up in the middle of the trip and spent a good chunk of it staring warily at the blond noble. It took quite a bit of effort for him to stop scowling at Takuma, but he still shied away when he tried taking him in his arms.

Kaname instructed the butler to place Zero's things in his quarter until further notice. Out of courtesy, he invited his friend to join them for the meal.

With the child cradled in one arm, Kaname used the other to fetch the notebook from a bag and place it on the desk of his office. he flipped through the pages, appreciating the organized way Cross used to wrote down the guidelines about taking care of Zero along with a detailed schedule of his daily activities. Kaname noticed that his dinnertime coincided with the lunchtime of the vampires, so he decided that the little guest should join them as well.

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In the spacious dining hall, Yuki sat in her designated seat with the grace of the queen she was. The room was lit by the large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling as well as the candles adorning the long carved table occupying the majority of the room.

She leaned sideway to fix the bowtie of her son, patting away on his shoulder while they exchanged smiles. Zander bore a strong resemblance to his mother, be it his big brown eyes, small nose, full lips, wild and curly hair… If not for his slightly masculine air, anyone would confuse him as a carbon copy of Yuki Kuran.

The only part that would remind anyone that he is indeed Kaname's son would be the lack of expressions on his face. The child seemed to have a strong control over his emotions since young age, and displayed outstanding cognitive abilities that he certainly did not inherit from his mother.

His eyes suddenly narrowed in direction of the door, making Yuki follow the trajectory until hers widened at the sight of a child's seat being carried inside and placed by the other side of the King's seat. Takuma allowed himself in right after, greeting the two stunned royal hosts.

"It is nice of you to join us Ichijou-senpai." Yuki welcomed him warmly, happy for some company during the silent meal she always endured for the past years. At least, she would have someone answering her back when she spoke.

"Thank you for having me." Takuma nodded with a bright smile, adjusting the napkin on his lap while they waited for the king to join them.

"I don't remember that you have a child of your own, Uncle Ichijou?" Zander voiced the question swimming in his mother's head.

Takuma blinked in confusion before understanding the question.

"Oh Zander!" He shook his head, "That is certainly not the case, not yet anyways. This chair is for a guest of your father." He explained.

It was Yuki's turn to be confused at the statement.

"A guest of Kaname?" She asked, "Who might that be-" Her words were swallowed when the male pureblood emerged from the door holding a silver haired child looking around him curiously.

Her jaw slackened at the sight, mirroring Takuma's reaction at Cross Campus.

Without saying a word, Kaname carefully placed the child on the designated seat and wrapped a bib around his neck. He took a seat and pulled the baby chair closer to him while instructing the maid to heat the prepackaged food he handed her.

Yuki and Zander, as well as Takuma kept gawking at the pair during the whole meal. Kaname all but forfeited his food in favor of attempting to make Zero eat his own. The maid failed on many attempts, which frustrated the pureblood to the point of taking on the task himself. He assumed that Zero simply did not appreciate a stranger feeding him.

At first, he gave him the spoon and allowed him time to eat on his own since Cross wrote down that he was learning such a thing. However, Zero showed no sign of wanting to eat on his own, instead he kept staring at Kaname and his plate where a roasted beef shone in its glaze.

The brown haired male held back a chuckle at the greedy look of the child. _'I would certainly give you a bit if you were allowed to eat them.'_

"Kaname?" Yuki attempted, unable to watch any longer, "Why is Zero-chan here with us?" the way she hissed the name made it obvious how much she disliked the fact that her father named him after her late brother.

"Cross-san asked me to take care of him for the duration of his business trip." Kaname answered her without looking away from the child.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, the same as Takuma.

Kaname noticed the reaction from the corner of his eyes. "It is more like having Zander's nanny attend to his needs." He clarified their confusion before finally looking at his neglected wife for the first time in many years, "Come to think of it, I summoned her but the servant told me that she left the castle."

Yuki swallowed and averted his gaze, "Uhm… She took a vacation. Zander is old enough to take care of himself most of the time."

The young boy perked when he became the topic of the conversation, "I am able to dress, groom myself without any help now, father. I was also praised by Aido-sensei for passing the test of royal etiquette."

Kaname stared as the child gloated on and on until he was done talking, his eyes were cold and devoid of emotion as he commented on his son's behavior, "I guess the test did not include a warning on the rudeness of interrupting an ongoing conversation between adults."

The child all but paled at the undermining tone of his father. He always strived for his acceptance, and Yuki could feel the turmoil of her son when his father all but flushed his efforts down the drain. She bit the inside of her cheek and spoke quickly to amend the blunder of her son.

"I am sure that he is merely happy to let you know-"

"About that nanny." Kaname dismissed her excuses with a colder tone, not bothering to look at them while he wiped the mess Zero made by playing with his food, "Call her back from her vacation, as an order from the King."

Yuki's irritation started to rise but she held in any sort of retort. Lifting her chin up, and interlacing her hand in a display of confidence, she uttered the words that floored the king of the castle, "I am afraid that it will not be possible seeing that I fired her long ago."

Kaname's face snapped back in her direction, eyes narrowing on the petite pureblood, waiting for an explanation.

"I found her drawing blood from Zander shortly after she started taking care of him around the clock." A gasp escaped Takuma's lips in horror, knowing the fact that drinking from a pureblood was still a taboo in their society even if it was not punishable by death anymore.

"How could you allow such a thing to happen in the first place?" Kaname glared at his wife who countered with a challenging look.

"I did not. I have been taking care of _our_ child single handedly for the first two years of his life, that is until his father broke down and I had to dedicate most of my time tending to him." She spoke calmly.

"Now you are saying that it is my fault." The atmosphere started getting charged and Takuma feeling uncomfortable. He pitied the six years old sitting across the table picking on his food while having to witness the debate.

"No such a thing," Yuki quipped sarcastically, "It is my fault for bringing in a qualified staff that I trusted with my child but found that she was weaker when facing her greedy lust."

"Why bother lying to me and your father if that was the case. Why bother having your child make up stories if you think that you did the right thing firing her." Kaname snapped, "Cross-san asked me to bring him over because he believed that the nanny would be around even if you were to be away."

"Well… Sorry for not broadcasting the fact that an insolent lowly servant dared attempt to drink from _our_ child the moment I turned my back to take care of a grieving husband." She hissed.

"Guys! I don't think that the issue is worth quarreling about " Takuma tried dispelling the hostility especially when Zero picked on the vibes and started to sniffle, afraid.

"Great!" Yuki slammed the tablecloth and stood up, pushing the chair violently in the process. Kaname half expected her to storm out and never come back.

Minutes later, she emerged back with a maid at her foot pushing a cart. Kaname was alarmed when she pulled the baby seat her way and sat on the chair next to it.

However, he observed as she grabbed a cloth and dipped it in a bowl of warm water that she used to wipe the face and hands of the toddler. She took off the dirty bib and replaced it with a clean one. The king noticed that Zero was observing her intently, not really resisting the treatment, which surprised him.

Yuki then took a small plate and uncovered the content. Kaname noticed that it was a miniature of their own dinner with the exception that the vegetables were mashed and the meat shredded finely. Yuki placed the plate in front of the drooling child and used her own hand to mix the meat and mashed veggies together, she then took a lump and hovered it in front of Zero's mouth.

The toddler hesitated for a moment as he smelled the food and looked at it before actually tasting it. Takuma could swear that he saw stars lit up in his eyes as soon as the food hit his taste buds. Yuki allowed him to dip with his own hands and eat the rest while dropping half of it back in the plate.

She gave her husband a cold look, explaining herself, "I am but a mother who decided to dedicate her time taking care of her son since she seemed to have failed as a wife. I refused father's request not because I did not wish to take care of this child but because I have no one I can trust with a human child around without the risk of harming him. You would have thought the same if you were more involved in our life. The best you could do is to send this child back, for you are not qualified to take care of anyone beside yourself. Zander?" She did not wait for an answer as she beckoned her son to leave the dining hall with her.

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A heavy silence blanketed the room, with only the small clattering of Zero enjoying his food.

"Well… At least someone here is having a good time." Takuma pointed, "I wonder what was wrong with his previous meal though."

Kaname looked at the child who was almost done with his plate, and back to his own untouched food, "He…" Kaname mumbled.

"Pardon?" Takuma urged

"He is having a case of inflamed gum because his molars are growing. Cross gave me some prepackaged baby food for him to eat since it seemed painful for him to munch any solid food. I guess that he did not like the taste of it." The pureblood explained.

"Oh!" Takuma tapped a fist in a palm as he realized the problem, "That is why Yuki-chan mashed everything together. I guess she did have similar experience with Zander when he was his age."

"Probably." Kaname shrugged, starting on his own meal while his mind raced with various worries.

Takuma took a bit of his own steak before noticing the solemn look on his friend's face. He looked from the brunet to the silver haired child back to the brunet before letting out an exasperated sigh, "I will contact Aido-kun, Akatsuki and Shiki to see if any of their families have an available nanny who could come first thing tomorrow. I believe that Aido's sister had a human nanny once." He informed, as if reading his king's mind.

"I appreciate." Kaname sighed in relief.

Takuma smiled at the familiarity that he missed so much. He was glad that one thing did not change with Kaname; that no matter how much it inconvenienced him, he would not back down from a promise or an engagement he got himself into. Although such practice caused more grief than comfort.

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Takuma was happy and sad at once by the time he had to leave. Zero was starting to warm up to him and he wished to spend more time with the mysterious toddler who stole his heart with one big smile.

"Bye bye Zerorin… I will come back to see you soon~" Takuma waved from the window of the car as the child waved back over Kaname's shoulder.

"Bye! Bye!" Kaname could not help the smile upon hearing the cute voice next to his ear.

Back in his chambers, Kaname put the toddler down and sat on his desk to check the guidelines that Cross wrote down once again.

"hmmm… So after dinner time, there is… teeth brushing, obviously." He made mental note to take out the toiletry bag from the pink suitcase. He remembers Cross pointing to it as the one stuffed with hygiene related items as well as bedsheets, pillow and pajamas. "After that we have…bath time?" He dreadfully glanced at the toddler walking around the room while reading the instructions, "put a cap before even pouring water over his head because he kicks a fuss upon the first drop of water that blurs his vision."

Remembering the wailing back at the association, Kaname stared at Zero who traced the carving of the coffee table curiously with his finger. "I guess you could go one night without your bath until the nanny comes tomorrow." Kaname flipped the page to the next one wishing for it to be the 'tucking him in bed step'

To his luck, it was story reading time. It was not the worst of the two evils, but he still had to unpack the huge box if he was to get to the children's book inside of it, a task he believed the nanny would undertake.

"Zero… What story do you want me to read toni-" His words were lost when he finally laid eyes on the child, his blood run cold in his veins when he saw the sharp object known as a paper cutter in the hand of the toddler who was about to start destroying the carpet using it,

"Zero!" He screamed and all but teleported when noticing the blade closing down on a tiny finger. He startled the child by yanking the nefarious object.

Zero sucked in his lower lip and puffed his cheek while his eyes glistened, preparing for big fat tears to fall. Kaname panicked at the prospect of the child crying out loud. He looked around the room until his eyes landed on the big box sitting in a corner.

He looked back at the child who sat on his knees while his hands squeezed the fur of the carpet.

"You want to use this?" Kaname tempted. Zero nodded quickly, "Okay! Let's play with it together, shall we?"

Kaname was relieved to see the expectant look on Zero's face. He picked him up and held him against his chest by his midsection while safely placing the cutter in his hands. "I need you to hold it with both hands." Kaname instructed to make sure that the child does not cut himself. His bigger hand easily held the fists holding the blade and guided them over the tape sealing the box.

Zero was giggling the whole time he was cutting through it and Kaname started to see the fun of doing it as well. Once the box was open, Zero discarded the cutter in favor of Kaname pouring the content and asking for his help organizing it.

That night, Kaname did not spend his time signing pieces of papers, making formal calls or sitting in his couch thinking of his deceased beloved. No, he spent the night assembling a childproof plastic shelf and let Zero guide him about where everything has to go starting from toys and figurines, Lego pieces, to children's books and coloring tools.

After the task was done, they laid on the carpet, on their stomachs next to each other while Kaname read the story and Zero flipped the pages enthusiastically to see the pictures.

Kaname cursed internally when he found himself taking forever to change the boy's clothes. He was too engrossed in their crafty activities that he missed the fact that he was supposed to change Zero in his pajamas and have him drink a warm cup of milk before reading the story all while making sure that his bed was ready for when he had to tuck him in. Of course, the king did nothing of those steps and skipped to changing the drowsy child and tuck him in his humungous bed instead. Once he made sure that Zero was fast asleep, he turned off the lights and went back to his desk to do some actual work for the rest of the night.

"I am sorry for greeting you so late tonight my love," he caressed the silver box, "I had quite the eventful day that would have brought me so much joy if you were by my side because I know that you would have enjoyed seeing me tormented by the unknown." He gave a breathy chuckle, imagining his silver hunter mocking him for being so clueless when it comes to children, "I guess I did not do a good job as a father as I believed myself. I hope you forgive me that because I tried, but I could not bring myself to love that child when he shares the face of the person who took you away from my embrace." He kissed the metal and placed it back on the decorative table.

He paused as he headed to his couch and stared at the colorful shelf that stood out of place in his Victorian style living room. _'Ten days to go… It should not be that bad once the nanny comes over.'_

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

The next day, Kaname woke up to a wary call from Takuma.

"Kaname, I am so sorry… I tried calling every other person I know but to no avail. The Aido nanny has her hands full with the children she oversees. Hanabusa asked me to bring the child over but he could not guarantee that the children would not bully him because they attempted to bite the nanny herself at some point. The Shiki's and Akatsuki's do not have any nanny obviously because they have no children yet…. The only good news I might have is that Ruka will be visiting in two days to help out as soon as she lands from her trip to Italy."

Kaname felt an impending migraine at the thought of taking care of a toddler. He expected the coming days to be straight out of a horror movie as soon as his enhanced hearing picked up the shuffling sound from the bedroom.

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ TBC ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

 **Yep! You probably figured it out already but Kaname is completely clueless when it comes to taking care of kids in this story. Let's enjoy his dilemma *evil smirk***

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Guest reviews ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

 **XtAG**

Hello there! Nice seeing you here as well and I hope you enjoyed reading the second chapter ^.^

 **mandy**

Thank you dear! I hope you enjoyed reading this second chapter as well. I am a big fan of Abducted and Frozen Heart myself, and very happy to have the honor of carrying on the story with dear Irmina.

 **Another guest:**

You might think that it is excessive but I truly enjoyed reading every bit of it. Feel free to contact me via email or any other way if you want to send me longer feedback ;)

It was equally excruciating to write that first part, I admit that I shed a few tears myself (as silly as that may sound)

Of course, the resolution/acceptance of the fire will be explained in time. Your observation are close enough and I think that it will make quite the unexpected twist ;)

Child development will play an important role in the story indeed, I did research a bit but I always appreciate additional pointers. Therefore, your comment would not 'rub me the wrong way'. Thank you very much for the piece of information, I already added it to the information I had.

As for the length, I would say that it is not too short, but not as long as Who am I?

Don't worry, Irmina and I already laid down the complete plot along with the ending scene and the climax that led to it. I find it easier to write that way as you said. _"It'll probably make the middle 50% more comfortable/fun to write in terms of foreshadowing, resolution, continuity etc"_

P.S

" _Plus you are a better fiction writer than I will ever even attempt to be ;)_ _"_ Why do I feel like you are not giving yourself enough credits? You never know until you actually try your hand at writing your own story. I have been beta reading for so long and always believed that I could never write a page, let alone a lengthy complex story.

Thank you for your wonderful feedback ;) and I hope you enjoyed the read.

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ See you soon! ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**


	3. Chapter 3

**Long time no post guys!**

 **Sorry, I had difficulties finding the right time and mood to write for this lovely story, but** _ **as usual**_ **, seeing so many awesome reviews, favorite and follows pushed me to go to the extra miles to write this chapter XD**

 **It is literally 2:44 am here when I am posting this, so excuse any slip in grammar or spelling since I have no brain to reread and did not give our dear Irmina to read the last part and fix it. I am just that excited to post this hhhhh.**

 **With no further ado, enjoy the read! love ya**

∞∞ _ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ last chapter ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**_

 _The next day, Kaname woke up to a wary call from Takuma._

 _"Kaname, I am so sorry… I tried calling every other person I know but to no avail. The Aido nanny has her hands full with the children she oversees. Hanabusa asked me to bring the child over but he could not guarantee that the children would not bully him because they attempted to bite the nanny herself at some point. The Shiki's and Akatsuki's do not have any nanny obviously because they have no children yet…. The only good news I might have is that Ruka will be visiting in two days to help out as soon as she lands from her trip to Italy."_

 _Kaname felt an impending migraine at the thought of taking care of a toddler. He expected the coming days to be straight out of a horror movie as soon as his enhanced hearing picked up the shuffling sound from the bedroom._

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

The king of vampires found himself walking on the tip of his toes to peek into the bedroom where he laid the exhausted child to sleep. He could see the bottom of the kid wiggling around under the cover until Zero pushed it off him and looked around, obviously drowsy and surprised by the foreign surrounding.

Kaname was about to jump by his side when he saw the tiny lips quivering, he did not think that he could tolerate a full-blown crying fit. However, the next action made him more curious. The lips stopped quivering but the silver brows knotted as Zero took every detail of the room. Once the assessment finished, the toddler started shuffling. With his small legs and arms, he crawled on all four across the huge bed. When he reached the edge, turmoil was visible on his face because of the height of the bed. Zero realized that he could not get down on his own.

Kaname started fretting a bit when he saw him dangle his feet, worried that he might hurt himself. However, the child crawled back on the bed and pouted. His cherubic face lit up again all of a sudden when he caught sight of the pillows. Kaname had to stifle a chuckle when Zero started to drag and drop them on the floor.

Proud of his work, the toddler proceeded to get down, Kaname held his breath watching him, the first foot landed safely, and Kaname breathed out a sigh of relief, but soon regretted it as the second foot slipped and the child was about to fall square on his head. Thanks to his enhanced speed, Kaname reached in time before the worst happened.

Zero was startled for a second before realizing that he was saved, he looked up with his big teary eyes and reached out to clutch Kaname's shirt, burying his face into the crook of his neck while trembling. Kaname was taken aback once again by the action, the affection that the child showed him unsettled him for unknown reason. He brought a hand to rub the small back reassuringly before putting the child down on his feet.

A brown eyebrow rose when he noticed the awkward standing position and the squirming, it took him a while to understand, not until Zero held both hands in front of his pants that Kaname understood that is was potty time with a great feeling of dread.

The last thing Kaname would have thought of finding himself looking up on the net was 'how to clean a toddler after a toilet break'. He could not blame Cross Kaien for not including the instruction for it, since a nanny would naturally know what to do. Now cleaned and dressed, the child recovered his happy mood along with the running around and mischief.

Kaname's phone rang while putting the clutter away, and he recognized Yuki's I.D. He was surprised to have her call since she left barely minutes ago.

"Is the boy awake?" The queen asked.

"Yes. Is something the matter?" Kaname got right to the point.

"Father just called. I did not know what you explained to him about the child, so I told him that you will call him when you have time." She answered curtly, "Bye."

Kaname put down the beeping device and pondered for a moment about what to do. He looked at the child who was now struggling with his puzzle pieces. It did not take him long to call Cross Kaien.

Kaname did not bother telling him about the situation with the nanny in detail, just that he had it covered in due time. However, he was surprised to learn that Zero had a regular appointment with a speech-language pathologist along with a social consultant over the week. Kaname was impressed by the amount of pressure that the Chairman was put under in order to be granted custody of the child.

After making another few calls, he decided that it was best to take the child himself to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

Zero had a worried expression when watching Kaname putting things in his small backpack while reading the notes about what to take. He obediently followed the brunet to the car. Kaname was aware of the fidgety behavior and it puzzled him. After securing his seat belt, Kaname went around and got into his seat.

"Uhm…" The small sound startled the pureblood king and he glanced at the child clutching the band over his chest, "Where?" Zero asked timidly, looking at his caretaker from under his long silver eyelashes.

A lightbulb lit in Kaname's head. _If I remember correctly, this child was taken out of the custody of Cross-san few times while they investigated the issues he talked about. Is he thinking that I was taking him to the shelter again?_

"Your father asked me to take you to visit Dr. Kim. You always spend time with her every Tuesday, right?" Kaname spoke softly. He was amused seeing Zero counting the days on his fingers before giving him a full-toothed smile, worry disappearing from his shiny eyes.

"UM!" He nodded continuously and looked out of the window, waiting for the car to move.

Kaname assumed that Zero got along well with this doctor seeing how happy he was about meeting her.

Once in the cabinet, the secretary greeted the child with a coloring kit and papers that Zero took happily before running to a door that he opened without reserve. The king of vampires felt a little awkward being in such a bright and cheerful place, plastered with kids' drawings, not to mention the overwhelming presence of mothers waiting for the turn of their children while ogling him hungrily.

He was lucky that he brought enough paperwork with him to distract him in the hour he will spend waiting for the session to end.

While he waited, his lips would curl up subtly on occasion whenever a loud giggle erupted from the room, knowing that it was Zero's voice.

He suddenly regretted rejecting the offer to accompany him during the session seeing how shy Zero had been around him ever since he took him in. It would have been a chance for the child to relax more in his presence.

The brunet shook his head, surprising himself to find his thoughts drifting more and more towards the strangest things. His chest tightened suddenly, remembering that he did not take his time talking to his late lover before leaving since he was short on time. He felt anxious and could no longer focus on his work anymore. He tucked the papers back in the bag and stood to take a walk outside the building. He had two mind about teleporting back to his quarter if his phone did not buzz. It was the secretary informing him that Zero was ready to go home.

As expected, Kaname found him leaving the room with a middle-aged woman. His worries vanished for a moment when he caught sight of the wide smile on Zero's face as he allowed the doctor to guide him to the secretary. _"He seems used to be around here."_

When the doctor nodded for him to follow her, he glanced at the secretary. She gave him a reassuring nod as she stroked Zero's head, who was distracted with the new toy she gave him.

The door closed and Kaname sat on the seat offered to him.

"Hello Mr. Kuran. I hope that you were not bored waiting for little Zero to finish his session."

"No such a thing Dr. I appreciate the help you are providing him." Kaname answered humbly, hiding the discomfort he was feeling from the scrutinizing look that the woman was giving him.

"So~ I usually proceed with a small chat with Cross-san in order to close the report that I need to submit to-" She interlaced her hands and paused for a moment, "Sorry… You are his son-in-law if I am not wrong, right?"

Kaname nodded,

"Are you aware of the purpose of such consultation despite the fact that Zero-chan does not really need them?" She asked

"Yes. My father-in-law briefed me about it."

"That would make things easier…" She exhaled, "First of all, I would like to say that Zero is as bright and clever as always. I have always enjoyed the sessions with him the most and will be looking forward to the next one." She beamed, "Though, today's discussion was quite unique."

Kaname tensed at the undertone, "Is there anything alarming I should know about?"

The doctor tapped on her chin, pondering before pulling a paper from under Zero's medical file, "Actually yes… It would be these." She handed several drawing to Kaname for him to examine them.

The pureblood was surprised to see that they were drawing of himself, though he only knew that from the weird way that Zero spelled his name above the distorted picture of a man standing next to a child. 

As he flipped the papers, he halted at the one he suspected that the doctor would have something to say about it. 

"Kame and me fighting the evil box?" The doctor quirked an eyebrow. 

Kaname sighed, "Well, about this-" 

"I am just curious about the real nature of the object he drew as a gun in his hand." 

A brown eyebrow twitched "It has nothing to do with a gun or any kind of shooting weapon for that matter" 

"What is it then?" The woman insisted, not falling for the way Kaname was trying to avoid answering her question. 

It was on extremely rare occasions that the pureblood king of vampires happened to feel cornered, and this was such an occasion. Kaname delicately placed the papers on the desk and gave the old woman a fake but charming smile, hiding the fact that a vein was about to pop on his temple. 

"It was nothing threatening. I assure you. He was about to throw a fit when I prevented him from taking a paper cutter into his hand. Seeing that it would be one of the few times that I am left in charge of the child, I always make sure that he is left without unpleasant memories in my company. Therefore, I thought of turning it into a game by guiding his hand holding the blade securely over the sealed box containing his toys. It was he who dubbed it as a monster that we defeated and saved all his toys it took away"

The brunet was hoping that his perfect poker face would be as flawless as ever because he was lying through his teeth. 

The doctor fixed Kaname with a steady gaze, analyzing every word he uttered and every gesture that followed. She was greatly amused when she noticed that he was fretting and panicking over his words despite trying very hard to hide it. 

She could not help but let out a soft giggle : "Oh dear… I guess that you were aware of how hard it would be to get Zero-chan to quiet down once he starts crying, so you probably thought of the next best thing to do." 

Kaname was slightly taken aback, thus too slow to manage a response. "Ah-" 

"No please…" The woman was cracking up, "No need to elaborate. I did not mean that in a negative way. Heck! If it was any other specialist in my field, they would have taken Zero away after your explanation."  
Kaname all but paled if not for the humorous tone that the doctor was adopting. 

"Let me tell you something good. This should be the least of your worries because Cross-san had far more reckless incidents raising Zero to this day. I assure you that if it was not for me caring for a good ol' friend, that child would have been taken from custody once and for all a long time ago." 

Kaname's eyebrows rose in surprise at the unexpected information. 

"In any case, I am well aware that the child will be around you for a limited period of time. However, I have to ask you to childproof your home for both your sakes. I am saying this not only as a consultant, but also as a mother of three myself. Kids nowadays are capable of things you could never conjure with an adult brain, ever"  
Kaname had to admit that the tone was quite ominous, and it had the intended effect on him, surprisingly enough.  
The remaining conversation was trivial but pleasant for the vampire king as he got to learn a few tricks and things to avoid in order to have a safe stay with the child. On their way back to the castle, Zerorin was more upbeat and happy, sitting on his knee and naming the element of the fleeting scenery outside the window. Kaname noticed that he would clam up when he would try to start a conversation with him. It was a little disappointing but he did not push him too much, thinking that Zero might be shy around him still.

Once they arrived, Kaname watched in a mixture of awe and amusement the little legs shuffling and the small arms clutching the backpack as Zero made his way to his quarter without asking for direction. He was acting as if he was the true master of the place walking around and greeting the servant who felt awkward at the overfamiliar human child running around with their king.

Kaname removed his tie and coat, and was about to call out for Zero but found the child already at his feet, handing him his folded mittens and beanie. Kaname accepted them gratefully and watched as the child fumbled with the zipper to remove his coat. The pureblood figured that he needed assistance, judging from the flushed cheeks and pouty mouth. He kneeled and covered the small hand. Zero awkwardly removed it and allowed the older male to help him out of the garment.

Soon after he ran to his mat and toys, dragging his backpack along with the intention to take out the new toys and drawing tools that the secretary gave him while Kaname talked to the consultant.

Minutes later, Kaname leaned against the frame of the bedroom's door after wearing more comfortable clothes, made of the softest silk in the darkest shades of black and red. Wine red eyes followed the comfortable behavior of the child, relieved by the text informing him that Ruka would be coming later this evening since she took an earlier flight.

It has not been seventy hours since the child came into his personal space, and the pureblood was already feeling a considerable amount of pressure. Pressure that he never felt even when buried in his royal duties through his grief. The thought ran through him like a bolt of lightning as his eyes flew to the ornamental table.

The child did not notice the hasty pace his caretaker took and how fast he reached the farthest wall of the room, neither did he bother to peek over the couch that blocked his view.

Kaname caressed the silver box, as his self-imposed ritual dictated, except that his hand was shaking terribly, his heart was aching and he felt a heavy weight of guilt suffocating him as he tried to whisper through the lump in his throat, "Love… Sorry… I did not mean to make you wait…" His trembling lips curled up slightly as he cradled the ashes of his late lover, "I guess the name Zero comes with a luggage of hand fullness… However, you are the only one that matters to me and that will never change, ever… I promise that I will never leave in a haste like today… the time spent with you is my lifeline. I am sorry I did not greet you as soon as I came in like usual… Were you lonely?" Kaname chuckled, imagining the witty retort the Zero he fell in love with would give, as well as the deadly glare it would earn him. "I felt lonely… I need you by my side at all times after all…" steadied finger traced the cold metal, "I wonder what you think of our little guest?" Wine orbs glanced in direction of the child, finding him asleep over his drawing. A small bitter smile traced his lips, "Were you that happy and full of life when young? I wonder… I wish I met you a lot sooner, love… We would have so many happy memories to enjoy talking about."

The king kept muttering, his expression going from relaxed, to solemn, to hurt and back to the relaxed and happy in a matter of moments. He placed the ashes back on their sacred shrine once he deemed it enough.

Once again, Kaname laid the child to sleep and headed to his desk for the paperwork awaiting. He halted midway, remembering the note that the chairman wrote in the notebook about security and safety stuff he put together. He quickly pulled and flipped the pages until he landed on what he was looking for. Kaname immediately set up everything according to the instruction before heading to his desk in the study room adjoined with the bedroom and living room. The smell of aging wood and old books was strangely soothing after the day of hyperactivity he was subjected to. He sighed and sat behind the pile of paperwork that Seiren prepared neatly on top of his mahogany desk.

The king of vampires was halfway through the work when he heard something being dragged on the floor along with small footsteps growing closer. He paused the scribbling of his fountain pen and observed as the drowsy kid wobbled into the study.

"Ka-me~" Zero called just as drowsily.

Brown eyebrow knitted in worry, "What?" he tried to sound as gentle as possible, though not appreciating the sudden interruption.

"Bathroom~" Zero clutched the ear of the stuffed bunny he was dragging along, as if sensing the irritation of the adult, his eyes were weary as he waited for Kaname to respond.

Big sleepy eyes watched as the fountain pen was gently placed in its slot, and the dark haired man rose from his seat. A smile brightened the cherubic face when a helpless look showed on the handsome face of the pureblood. Small arms spread when Kaname bent over to pick him up, then wrapped around the strong neck before placing a kiss on sharp jawline.

The action surprised Kaname once again. He felt slightly guilty as he wished the child would not bother him for something like a bathroom break minutes ago.

After doing the deed, and dreading the fact that he was getting used to it, Kaname watched as Zero strolled back to the bedroom, climbed the couple of colorful stairs that Kaname set up earlier as to avoid the morning incident. He did not wait for him to fall asleep since work was a priority for the kind, second to his beloved.

However, the pureblood was astonished to find that he had no energy to focus or stay awake in order to finish his pending tasks properly. ' _Was it because of how long it had been since I went outside during the day and did extra chore around?'_

Shrugging it off as the byproduct from adjusting to the intrusion on his calm and quiet life, Kaname switched off the desk lamp and headed to the couch for some rest, not expecting to get a good sleep despite the exhaustion.

Just as he thought the night could not be anymore eventful, he cracked one eye open upon feeling a presence nearby, only for it to be the child he thought was asleep.

This time, Kaname did not bother hiding his irritation, "What is it this time?"

Zero flinched, but took a deep breath as he stepped closer.

Small hands clutched the fabric of the sofa and eyed it for a moment. Kaname observed the action, already guessing the not so hidden intention.

Zero took a step back, dejection visible on his face, "nothing."

Kaname sighed at the pouty face visible to his keen eyes in the dark. It suddenly triggered a thought, _'Cross san did not mention anything about him being afraid of the dark.'_

"Do you want me to switch the light on?" He asked to make sure if that was the case.

"no…" Zero denied instantly, the moonlight filtering through the large windows allowed him enough visibility.

Kaname pondered, then asked another question, "Do you miss your daddy?"

From the surprised look on Zero's face, the pureblood figured that he hit the nail on the head. However, it left him perplexed as to how he could deal with such a situation.

"He is coming back soon, you know…" He used a soft voice as he extended a hand to pat the silver head, "He misses you too. How about we call him tomorrow and ask about him, hmm?"

Another bright smile blinded Kaname, amazing him by the simple and pure soul that landed in his life that have always been filled with sin and despair.

The smile retracted a bit as Zero bit the corner of his lips, "Anone…" He whispered, as if trying to get the attention that was already granted.

"What?" Kaname asked, amusement taking over the irritation that haunted his voice moments ago.

"Daddy always sleeps together." Zero stated through puckered lips, as if hesitating to tell the fact.

Wine orbs widened, confirming the first suspicion Kaname had when Zero was examining the couch he was sleeping on. He did wonder if the child was looking for a spot in order to join and sleep with Kaname on the uncomfortable piece of furniture.

The pureblood observed the situation through his tired mind. He exhaled slowly before pressing on the lower part of the couch and pulled. Despite the sophisticated look of the couch, it was indeed a sofa bed.

The childish eyes lit up with million stars when he found the ample space beside the brunet. Faster than the light, Zero climbed and snuggled up to the side of Kaname, making sure to throw an arm over large chest and rest his head close enough to the crook of Kaname's neck.

The warm breath was ticklish, but the vampire found himself distracted by the fine hair caressing his cheek. He stared at the ceiling for a while, listening to the rhythm of the heart beating next to him. He knew the child went to sleep right away, the steady breathing was proof enough.

Kaname's eyes would flutter closed before forcing them open again, as if scared to fall asleep.

He glanced at the altar of his beloved, like any other night, longing to feel his warmth by his side, wishing to listen to his steady heartbeat that always lulled him to the most peaceful sleep.

Kaname suddenly stopped his train of thoughts in shock upon landing on the reflection of the child in his arm through the mirror of one of the cabinets.

The moonlight-colored hair stopped his breath, as it was identical to the one he used to caress every night before drifting to sleep. However, his partner would be sleeping out of exhaustion from their lovemaking.

A pained expression adorned his face as he faced away from the reflecting furniture, the sense of loss and loneliness taking over tenfold the usual amount. He chest clenched, burning from inside. Unconsciously, as if looking for comfort, his arm wrapped around the small frame of the child as he twisted his bigger body to lay sideway. He pulled the toddler closer and used his power to lay a woolen cover over them. Nuzzling the fine silver hair, Kaname did not notice when his long brown eyelashes fluttered lower and lower to meet his prominent cheekbones, neither when his breath steadied as he drifted to sleep.

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

 _"I don't believe you… There's never been anything going on between us, and it will never be."  
"There WILL be. I know how you looked at me when we were still at Cross Academy. I know how you were broken when I left with Yuuki. You think I didn't notice? You love me!"  
"NO!"  
"Don't deny it! I could see it in your eyes! Even now, I could see that passion there!"  
"No! I don't love you!"  
"Why are you lying to yourself, Zero? What are you afraid of? I know you love me. I can prove it."_

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

The next thing he knew, eyes colored of the deepest reddish brown snapped open upon hearing the chirping of the birds and feeling the morning breeze washing away the last vestiges of the night.

"What?!" He breathed out the startled word. His eyes still fixed on the open window that he left open or draw its curtains. The sun was climbing higher and higher into clear blue sky, the rays slid against the wooden floor, growing closer to the couch as he remained trapped in his stupor. Kaname tried to raise his wrist to check the time only to find a weight hindering it. Blinking a few times, memories of the previous day slowly came back to his awakening brain.

He dropped his head back on the pillow, letting out a deep sigh. Not long after, a knock on the door confirmed how much longer he slept compare to the usual, if Seiren had to explicitly knock on the door instead of waiting for him to grant her access upon sensing her presence behind closed doors.

"Come in!" He ordered firmly.

Little did he know how hilarious the reaction he was about to receive.

The grey haired bodyguard froze by the door, failing to close it behind her. For once in her lifetime, maybe twice, her eyes bugged out. She had to discreetly tilt her head and verify if her eyesight did not betray her. After all, the last thing she would consider as a vampire would be to check her eyesight.

" _That is Kaname-sama still sleeping, right? He actually bothered to take out a cover- wait… Is that… Oh~ no no… that is not the issue… Kaname-sama is actually drowsy from sleep? That means he actually slept properly… with a child in his arms to boot?"_

Her bleak expression was on again once Kaname carefully maneuvered his arm from under Zero's head and sat properly to face her, not caring about his tussled hair. Seiren was among the rare individuals who witnessed his worst states.

The female vampire glanced at the skies as if checking for it to start raining cats and dogs.

Kaname had a hunch about what was going on in her mind, but did not bother pursuing it, saving himself the embarrassment.

"Is there any urgent appointments or meetings on my schedule today?" Kaname asked groggily. It has been years since the pureblood slept properly, and the feeling of having a clearer head left a bad aftertaste for his usually numb senses.

Seiren straightened her back and clapped her hands behind her back in a formal posture, regaining her composure, "None, Kaname-sama. I apologize for bothering you, but I merely came to request the signed documents that needed to be sent today."

Cream-colored long fingers combed through chocolate brown locks. Knowing that he did not finish signing everything, Kaname gave an irritated look at the bundle snoozing by his side. his lips pressed thin, he stood and shuffled around the bookshelves until he picked a pink notebook.

This time, he did not miss the bug-eyes that Seiren gave him as he briefly glanced her way. Though she was as proficient as him in regaining her poker face, curiosity shone brightly in her eyes as she watched him flip the pages.

A sigh of relief escaped the pureblood when he found that there would be no hectic activity such as taking the child anywhere for the day.

"I will have the documents ready in an hour." Kaname declared before closing the bathroom door behind him.

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

Having handed the notebook to Seiren and explained what it was for, Kaname took his time in the bath, relaxing and pondering about the rollercoaster, he landed himself in.

He started questioning his decision to take care of the child even if for a limited number of days.

" _I guess I can always send him to Yagari-san. Cross-san said that it would be the last resort if I did not agree. That would mean that he did take care of the child before…. Or I can… No… Sending him to one of our human employee may not be wise."_

The pureblood finally dipped his head in defeat, sinking completely under the water. He never appreciated anything or anyone disrupting his routine and monotone life. His beloved was the center of his life, worthy of his time and energy. Having them shared with anyone or anything other than word was borderline unforgivable.

Resurfacing, Kaname inhaled sharply. With eyes cast down, he muttered, "There is only eight days left. I can hold out for that long. Zero could forgive me that little time of distraction… I hope…"

He stood, allowing the water to slide over his naked frame to the floor for a few moments before grabbing the towel and bathrobe.

∞∞ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**

Opening the bathroom was akin to opening the gate to a different dimension when a onslaught of laughter, chatter and merry mood greeted the sullen pureblood.

He had to glance at the clock to see if he actually spend more time than he thought in the bathing.

Kaname walked in the lively living room, curious about the ruckus. He toweled his hair dry as he leaned his back against the doorframe.

There, on the colored mat of the playing corner he set up for Zero, sat the now awake toddler. Next to him sat one Takuma Ichijou, who focused on placing a piece of Lego in the tower they were building, and a giggling Ruka who sat on her knees with a pointy hat on her head while she stayed still for little Zero to paint whiskers on her cheeks. Even Seiran was not spared as Kaname found her hunting for a chance to get Zero to eat a spoonful of the prepackaged food he hated so much for breakfast.

Red brown eyes drifted from the cheerful corner to the open door of his study where he could see the piling documents. Takuma seemed to have brought more with him. Then the dark eyes drifted back to the bunch who did not even notice his usually worshipped presence.

It took him a minute or so to take in the hilarious situation and suddenly burst in laughter. The sound positively startled his guests who snapped their heads in his direction simultaneously.

The first one to react was his little mischievous charge, as his tiny feet run as fast as they could so that he glomped on his robe like an octopus, a wide grin adorned his chubby face as Zero looked up. "Mornin'"

Takuma, Ruka and Seiran stood formerly in presence of their king. The action served only in sending Kaname in another fit of soft chuckles as he lifted Zero in his arms. Takuma who did not seem to mind getting caught playing with the Lego pieces still had an orange cube in his hand. Ruka, who was flustered by the fact that Kaname witnessed the un-lady like behavior of hers, forgot about the whiskers that Zero drew on her face in the rush of removing the glittering hat from the top of her head.

Seiran being Seiran merely busied herself with putting the leftover food on the tray as she nodded in acknowledgement of the presence of her master.

"It is good to see you back Ruka." Kaname stated amicably.

The female noble lowered her head in respect and answered politely, "Thank you very much, Kaname-sama. I apologize for coming to visit earlier than scheduled. Ichijou-san explained the urgency of the situation and I wished to be of use as soon as I arrived."

"And I truly appreciate your dedication. I also apologize for adding to your burden and taking so much of your time for the next few days." he put Zero down and instructed him to go back by Ruka's side until he finished dressing himself.

"There is absolutely no trouble, Kaname-sama." Ruka finally lifted her head with a joyful expression shining through her eyes.

Kaname glanced at the child walking her way with a discrete curl in the corner of his lips.

" _I see that another victim has fallen under his charm."_

∞∞ _ **8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ TBC ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞**_

 **Feedback is always and forever welcome :D**

 **As I said in my other story, I may have gotten busier, but I am not giving up writing any of my fanfic. As a matter of fact, a new one is in the making as well but I will not post it until I finish one of my stories (I am mean I know *sigh*)**

 **Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it and that you are looking forward to what is coming next.**

 **The pace of this story will pick up slightly after the next chapter, so be ready for a bit of a roller-coaster along with our pureblood king hhhh**

 **See ya next chapter**


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